How to Cross the Desert (2)
The academy was still bustling with activity. Although less than two weeks had passed since the midterm exams, the atmosphere showed no signs of slackening. If anything, it burned even hotter with competition. Galimar, the continent's foremost educational institution. As a facility where only the elite gathered, a single moment of carelessness could leave one far behind. That was why the students never dared to loosen their guard. At least until the day of the school trip arrived, the harsh air seemed destined to linger.
And so another grueling day came to an end.
"......"
Evening, after all classes had finished. Legia was walking along the path leading to the dormitory. Thanks to her rather inconvenient schedule, the girl was returning to her room at a fairly late hour. No one walked beside her.
Thud, thud—.
She took calm, measured steps. Her pink hair swayed gently in the passing breeze. Though her bangs kept falling into her eyes, the girl simply kept moving her feet without any reaction. She seemed lost in deep thought.
"......"
Legia had been like this for some time now. A blank, absent-minded state. Ever since the incident during the midterm exams, there were far too many moments when she stood powerlessly still. It was because of the memories that remained like a lingering trauma.
- Hey, commoner! Can't you summon that so-called familiar again this time?
- You're nothing but dead weight!!
- That's enough! Get out of the way and stop being a nuisance!
The voices from that day still echoed in her ears. Unconsciously, her breath caught in her throat.
- Run outside right now.
- I'll buy some time here... So at least you get out alive.
A desperate situation where life and death hung in the balance. She hadn't been able to do anything. Even while the other children fought desperately to survive, Legia had been of no help to them. All because of her hopelessly weak nature.
'I almost ruined everything again......'
The girl bit down hard on her lip. She was afraid of death. Yet it wasn't a weight that crushed her. What truly despaired Legia was the frustration of nearly losing the people she cared about because of her own incompetence. A terrible sense of powerlessness lingered throughout her body.
'They all might have died.'
It could have been total annihilation. It was difficult to shake off her own responsibility. If only she had been able to properly control her abilities, she wouldn't have been pushed back so helplessly. They surely could have escaped.
'It's because I'm stupidly weak... I put everyone in danger.'
Self-loathing crept up on her. At times like this, her mother's words always felt like the perfect answer. Those whispers filled with hatred.
- A useless bitch like you... should never have been born in the first place.
Sharp fragments pierced her lungs. Legia, who had been groaning quietly so no one would hear, soon staggered on legs that had been steady moments before. She felt dizzy. It was like motion sickness. The memories of her powerless moments and the scars from her childhood intertwined, carving a long, deep wound into her heart. Legia merely steadied herself to keep from falling.
"Haa, haa......"
Her breathing grew ragged. It was while she was sinking into melancholy like that.
"Miss Legia."
A voice came from somewhere. Though she hadn't sensed any presence, a shadow had already appeared behind the girl. Turning around, she saw a familiar face.
"I've been waiting."
"......Young master?"
Neatly arranged golden hair. A calm atmosphere, and thinly opened eyes.
"Shall we walk together for a bit?"
Once again, it was a snake that caught the girl at the end of her melancholy.
***
"Shall we walk together for a bit?"
The protagonist walking with a blank expression. Having waited until classes ended, I appeared behind the girl and spoke.
Legia seemed flustered for a moment before nodding. And so we walked together toward the dormitory.
"......"
Even while walking, the girl didn't open her mouth at all. Only a heavy silence lingered in the air. Legia simply followed my steps, moving her feet one by one. It felt like watching a doll with its soul escaped.
"You look like you have no energy."
"......Yes?"
"Your complexion hasn't been good lately. Are you perhaps feeling unwell somewhere?"
"Ah, no...... It's, it's probably just because I haven't been sleeping well."
"You must not have slept properly for a whole week."
"......"
In the end, I was the one to speak first. Legia rolled her eyes as if searching for an excuse, then muttered in a shrinking voice.
"I-I'm really fine...... It's just that studies have been tough lately, so, so it seems fatigue has piled up without me realizing."
"Hmm~ Is that so?"
"Y-Yes......"
The protagonist nodding timidly. Though the girl kept insisting she was fine, I knew it was a flimsy lie. She looked quite overwhelmed at a glance.
'It's probably because of what happened at the abandoned laboratory.'
She must be feeling disillusioned with her own powerlessness. It was something that happened often in the original work too. The weakness of not being able to properly handle her abilities. Even though she possessed the power to protect others, she couldn't produce results because of her frail nature. It was like handing a famous sword to a scarecrow.
[I couldn't do anything.]
The coward always blamed herself. Because she was a child who found it easier to hate herself than to shift responsibility onto others. It was her nature to live her entire life in wounds.
It seemed the same this time. The girl was blaming herself. That she had nearly caused her surroundings to suffer terribly due to her own incompetence. Bad thoughts gnaw at the heart.
'It must be frightening.'
Legia had hardly grown at all. This was also true. Because she had avoided most of the tragedies that occurred in the original work. The villainess's bullying had practically disappeared, and she wasn't living as an outcast unable to adapt to the academy. She hadn't been dragged away by a monster during the midterm exams. Since she hadn't gone to Bergen, she hadn't formed a tragic connection with Anne either. It was truly a smooth flow.
'Maybe it was because of me.'
Pain promotes growth. In other words, growth always requires a certain amount of pain. The protagonist needed an opportunity. An opportunity to overcome pain on her own.
'If such an event is needed...... then I just need to provide it myself.'
In the end, this world flows according to the choices of the protagonist and her companions. Though I could control many parts now, it was their role to conclude the story at the ending. This was something even the Liar's ability couldn't reach. That's why my role was that of a guide. A guide to help the wandering ones walk on the right path.
"Miss Legia."
I smiled faintly. If you want to change, I was willing to find opportunities for you.
"Do you have any plans for the weekend by any chance?"
"Huh? P-Plans?"
"I was wondering if you were busy."
"There's nothing special. B-But why the plans all of a sudden......?"
"You said you had a lot of stress because of studies. How about we get some fresh air together? Think of it as a change of pace."
"Eh......?"
There was a place worth going together. An event where I could expect Legia's growth. I grinned mischievously.
"It's a date invitation."
Let's try raising the protagonist a bit.
***
A few days later. We met each other on Academy Street. Even though she had come out earlier than the appointed time, Legia was already looking around. When our eyes met, we exchanged light greetings.
"You were already here?"
"You came out early too, Young master."
"I was looking forward to today too much. Spending time alone with Miss Legia is always nice, after all."
"Uh...... Th-Then shall we go?"
Legia lowered her head as if embarrassed. She seemed quite nervous. At her fresh reaction, I unconsciously smiled. Taking the flustered girl's hand, I led the way as if telling her to follow.
"I'll guide you. I'm quite familiar with this area."
"Ah...... Y-Yes!"
We crossed the plaza like that. Walking along the long stretch of road, we soon left the familiar academy scenery behind. Before long, it transformed into a new atmosphere. Galimar wasn't just filled with academy buildings. With a scale comparable to a decent city, there were numerous commercial districts and convenience facilities centered around the main building. Shops, restaurants, theaters, blacksmiths...... There were various things to enjoy. To be precise, it was a part of the academy called the 'outer district.'
"Wow......!"
Legia exclaimed in admiration at the splendid background. It seemed it was her first time coming out to the outer district.
"Shall we fill our stomachs first?"
"Yes!"
"Let's take care of lunch simply. There's a stall I know well, so I hope it suits Miss Legia's taste as well."
"Wh-Wherever Young master goes......"
"It's right over there."
In the direction I pointed was a worn-out stall. It was a street stall run by an elderly man with white hair. Legia tilted her head in surprise.
"That's...... Plania skewers?"
"Do you know what kind of food it is?"
"I do. It's food that was sold in a village I happened to encounter during my time traveling the continent alone."
"Oh?"
We each held a skewer in our hands. It looked similar to chicken skewers. It was food made by grilling a bird called Plania until crispy, then finishing it with a sweet sauce. It was a rare delicacy in the empire.
"......"
The browned flesh of the Plania. Legia, who had been standing still, soon brought the warm skewer to her mouth.
Crunch—.
"......!"
The girl's eyes widened as if surprised by the taste. She must like it. Watching her reaction, I also took a bite.
Crunch—.
The well-cooked skin made a loud sound as it broke. Immediately after, rich juices burst out. The strong meat aroma that lingered at the tip of the nose, and the unique stimulating sauce wrapped around the tongue. It was a curious texture. The skin was clearly that of a chicken, but the meat was closer to pork. Especially the oily flavor was excellent.
'It's my first time eating it, but it's delicious.'
It was a stall that the original Legia often visited like a regular. I brought her here thinking she might like it in reality too, and it seemed to be a great success. It even suited my taste.
"How is it, Miss Legia?"
"It's d-delicious......! Much better than the Plania skewers I ate before!"
"I'm glad."
The girl muttered with a loosened expression. A satisfied smile naturally formed. I casually stroked her pink hair and ordered a few more Plania skewers. Since she liked them so much, I wanted to feed her plenty.
"After the meal, shall we go somewhere else too?"
"Yes......!"
We wandered around the wide streets. Although the outing was for the purpose of a growth event, I also wanted to spend time together incidentally. It was our first time coming out to the outer district together like this.
"Th-There are so many things."
"Hehe...... Shall we try experiencing them one by one?"
It seemed quite enjoyable. We looked around theaters, browsed items in shops, and even purchased weapons hanging in the blacksmith. Time flew by in an instant.
"I knew about the outer district, b-but...... I didn't know there were this many things."
"Learning new things is always enjoyable, after all."
Before we knew it, the sky was tinged with evening. The scenery gradually turning red. Realizing it was about time, I led the girl toward today's final destination. It was a somewhat remote path in the outer district, a road where people's footsteps didn't reach.
"Shall we take a look around here as the last stop?"
An old shop located in an out-of-the-way place. The building, with traces of time intact, stood alone in the empty surroundings. It gave off a somewhat eerie feeling.
"There's even a shop in such a remote place......?"
"There seem to be many good items."
Inside, various odds and ends were piled up. The displayed goods were neater than expected. It looked as if someone had managed them one by one. We looked around for the shop owner, but couldn't find any particular presence.
"It seems like there's no one here......"
"She must have stepped out for a moment. In that case, shall we just look around at the items?"
There were many miscellaneous objects. Rather than a general shop, it seemed like a store that mainly sold antiques. Old magical tools, banners with faded patterns, crystal balls that crackled because they were worn out. None of them seemed particularly valuable. Until Legia picked something up.
"This is......?"
The girl fiddled with a book as if entranced. It was a book covered in old leather. On the cover, the title [How to Cross the Desert] was engraved in golden letters.
"Miss Legia?"
As expected. She's choosing that.
"This book...... gives off a strange feeling somehow."
"What do you mean by strange?"
"I-I'm not sure either. It feels like the mana is faintly trembling......"
Summoners were basically sensitive to mana. Because the concept of summoning itself required delicate manipulation. It seemed the book caught her eye because of this characteristic. As Legia stroked the cover as if scanning the mana, she soon unconsciously turned a page. At that very moment.
Beeeeep—!
"......?!"
Along with an intense ringing sound, light began to pour out from the book. In an instant, the scenery was dyed brilliantly. The flashing light swallowed the shop and even covered the children's vision in pure white. There was no time to react.
"Y-Young master......!"
A flustered voice rang in my ears. Sensing my consciousness drifting away in real time, I muttered.
'It's starting.'
A growth event. I slightly curled the corner of my lips. The opened page was pulling us into the story. I obediently entrusted my body to that flow.
'There's only one chance.'
Following that. My vision went dark.
***
When I came to my senses again. What greeted us was the scorching sun beating down.
"Wh-Where on earth is this......?"
Legia hurriedly looked around. Sand that hadn't been brushed off yet clung to her sleeve. I muttered quietly.
"......It seems we've arrived properly."
Hot heat. The texture of sand felt underfoot. A landscape covered entirely in gold. We had fallen in the middle of a desert.
[EP???. How to Cross the Desert]
-The door that opens in the sky, the boy who stays up with the stars-
It was the beginning of a hidden episode.